


The Trouble Is You Think You Have Time

by orphan_account



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: A mash up of the Sonic continueties, M/M, kind of an AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-08-30 14:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8537455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sonic is getting older. His friends want him to grow up and start a more domestic life, but Sonic just... can't. He wants to, he really does, but he has absolutely no clue how to go about it! And after meeting his mirror image, Shadow, again after ten years and going on incredible missions with him and G.U.N., his instinct to settle down is heavier than ever. Will The Fastest Thing Alive ever slow down and smell the figurative roses?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm quit new to this whole fanfiction thing, so please inform me of any mistakes that are too confusing to overlook. This will be a Sonic x Shadow fan fiction that will be filled with funnies, playful banter, and mostly good vibes. There will be some angst, though, because you can't really have Shadow in a story without angst. And I like to give Sonic a bit more depth than just cheesy puns and chili dogs (though both are great). Now, the Sonic timeline is quite fickle, so here in this story it will just be a mash up of what I feel like including from the games, shows and a few comics. Because I nearly went bald trying to figure out what continuity I should use! I could also really use a beta reader to help me out. I have a general storyline plotted out (I think), but for the most part, I'm writing as I go. Any time you spend reading and reviewing constructively is much appreciated!

A gust of chilling October air flitted through the fragile brown leaves in the treetops, carefully removing them and letting them fall peacefully to the dirt. Silence. The kind where it's still upon first glance, but has so many unnoticed sounds waiting for a kind soul to just stop and listen; suddenly, a gust of blue across the forest's sanctity, and silence once again. This blue blur was a kind soul, indeed, but never really thought to slow down enough to really take in his surroundings. Go, go, go were the words he lived by. And also the words 'chili dog', but that's irrelevant.

Air split neatly, making room for the speedy figure to zoom by and ruffle the leaves. A high hum resonated through the trees growing lower and lower until individual patters of shoes against leaves could be heard. And, with a screech, it stopped. The blue coat of the anthropomorphic hedgehog rang out brilliantly against the soft autumn aesthetic that both warmed and chilled the Green Hill Zone. He bent over to fix the placement of the buckle that sat atop his brand new anti-friction shoes that his brother had made for him just that morning. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly as he inspected them.

They were quite similar to his old ones in style with a simple curve to the top and a gold buckle hung to the side, albeit loosely. He supposed that was the only flaw he could find in them that he would need to bring up to the studious fox. He wouldn't like to trip over a shoe buckle while traveling at mach two, now would he? Other than that, they were just like his old ones.

A gloved hand reached up to click the small button on the communicator in his ear. "Tails? You there, bud?" He spoke, rubbing some dirt off his knee. The sound of static assaulted his left ear, causing his right one to lower instinctively.

"Yeah, Sonic, I'm here. Did you find anything?" Tails spoke softly over his own ear piece. The fox was all the way across the zone happily tinkering with some screws on his newest project . Sitting crisscross in the sand on the south beach, his tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as he wrenched them in firmly.

"Eh, well-..." Sonic mumbled, glancing in all directions and searching for any movement,"Nothing yet... Oh, hold on!"

Tails sat back on his heels as he listened to the clanging of metal and a slight tearing sound over the small speaker. "Sonic...?"

"Got it!" Sonic chirped and flipped the metal piece around in his hand, his foot placed on the stomach of the disassembled badnik he tore it from. "What is it called again?"

Tails snickered and stood, brushing sand from his fur. "It's just a gear, Sonic. Bring it back ASAP, I'm almost finished."

"No problem, bud, be there in a jiffy," Sonic said and immediately sped back south towards the beach, his purple scarf, tied securely around his neck and over his muzzle to block the cold wind, flowed wildly behind him.

The fox stood back and admired his creation, tails swiveling proudly. From the average onlooker, it may have looked like a huge tennis net, but to Mobians with more acute observation skills, it was obviously a fog catcher. It stood twenty feet tall and forty feet wide with a shiny black net spanning across. A tray sat directly below the net to catch the condensation from the heavy fog that often saturated the Green Hill Zone beach perimeter during the winter.

About five years prior, a thirteen year old Tails desperately wanted to start earning mobiums for parts in his inventions. Badniks only had so many useful parts, after all, and the number of them running around didn't meet the boy's demands, surprisingly. Sonic gave him the idea to invent something that could be enjoyed by just about anyone, and, being the clever fox that he was, he wanted to make something completely original. Hence birthed an 'out of this world' soda pop."Ocean Breeze - it's like a refreshing summer breeze to warm the pit of your stomach! Created directly from the fog around the Green Hill Zone beach, this beverage is sure to give you the toasty feeling of a summer day at the beach while you play in the snow," so say the advertisements. Now that it was Ocean Breeze season again, as the many fans of the drink liked to call it, Tails had taken to installing a couple more nets around the beach to compensate for its popularity.

Tails' ears swiveled, picking up a disturbance in the trees nearby. He instantly tensed and stooped to a fighting stance, ready for action if need be. But as soon as he caught the vibrant blue of his older brother, a bright smile crept to his muzzle. Sonic burst from the surrounding brush and skid to a stop in front of the fox, creating a wave of sand under his sneakers.

With a slight chuckle, Tails mumbled, "Well, that was fast." He quickly dissolved into laughter when Sonic rose a brow and smirked at him from under his scarf.

The blue hedgehog immediately started walking around under the fog catcher, admiring its size. "Wow, Tails, this one is huge!" He knocked on one of the poles erecting from the sand and looked strait up at the net, watching the vibrations travel up the metal and softly sway the silky, woven fabric.

"Yeah. Since the soda pop's recent incline in demand, I've had to adjust manufacturing accordingly, so the next few catchers I put up will be the same size, if not larger," the fox said, gently tapping the same metal pole that Sonic had. "I'll need to build and program a couple more assembly lines, too, if we wanna accept that offer from the city."

Sonic grimaced. "The market one?"

Tails smirked. "Yup."

Sonic groaned and flung his head back, dramatic as always. "I liked it better when this was just a small way to collect mobiums for the winter! Like, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of you and all, I just miss the old days."

Tails rose a brow, his namesakes swishing behind him. "The old days? You mean like when you didn't have to help out?"

The blue 'hog's head shot back up and green eyes locked with blue. "Exactly." Rolling his eyes, Tails just turned and started packing up his tools. Sonic watched him for a moment, about to help, but then he remembered, "Oh, here's that gear you needed." He reached around and pulled the circular piece of metal out of his quills and tried to hand it to Tails.

The fox looked at it in confusion for a moment before his ears snapped up and he smiled nervously. "Oh yeah," he grabbed the piece slowly from his brother's grasp,"Thanks, Sonic."

Sonic stared at the other with a deadpan expression and crossed his arms. "You don't actually need it do you?" Tails looked down bashfully and shook his head. The blue 'hog huffed and threw his arms up in the air in a joking manner. "Why do I even do things for you!"

Tails laughed and picked up one last screwdriver. "You were getting restless. And whiney. I've been working on this all day, and you were itching to help. Now you've helped. Be happy."

"Hmph. If you want me outta your fur, just say so," Sonic murmured, trying to hide his smirk.

The wind picked up as the two Mobians set off towards home, spoonfeeding the two a large chill that ran down their spines to their toes. Tails zipped up his jacket and nuzzled into the fluffy fabric of the collar as Sonic rubbed his arms and tried to bury his nose into his scarf. Typically he would've sped off home and left Tails to fly or walk on his own, as the fox liked to do more and more with his growing age, but The Fastest Thing Alive was feeling exceptionally chatty that day.

"Why do you think Egghead has been so quiet lately? It's been at least four months since his last scheme. Think he's planning something big?" Sonic asked casually, kicking around a couple sticks as he did.

The fox shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. He is a person, Sonic, people like to take breaks or vacations. Even super villains. It's not like he has a strict schedule or anything."

Sonic sighed," I guess." It used to feel like he did, back when Eggman was up and running with a new scheme at least once a month. Now the professor seemed to be falling off the evil boat with only one plan every five to six months. He was becoming less and less of a deal and Sonic honestly didn't know what to do with his free time most days. There were still badniks all over the place that attacked when they spotted him, but they were almost a part of life now. Wake up, eat breakfast, badnik, run, badnik, lunch, TV, badnik... He seemed to be stuck in a loop.

The blue hedgehog glanced over at the kitsune that was walking happily next to him, smiling and staring at his feet as they crunched the dying leaves. Sonic smirked. Tails had grown up so much in the past ten years that he had a hard time looking at the kid without swelling with pride. A fine young Mobian, he was. The boy had everything going for him. A popular, albeit small, company, a house that Sonic happened to crash at occasionally, a good stash of coins, and a girlfriend... The 'hog tensed at the word, quills rising defensively.

Tails noticed. "You okay, bro?"

Sonic shook his head, relaxing once again at the sound of his brother's deep voice. "I- uh- yeah, I'm fine," he said apologetically, " I just, um, how are things with Cream?"

A fog filled the fox's eyes as he practically swooned over the thought of his long time girlfriend. He smiled. "You know... Going steady..." Sonic nudged his brother in the ribs, earning a whine and a laugh from him. Tails' giggling faded away slowly before he looked down to his shoes in thought. "Sonic...?"

The questioned hedgehog looked at the fox curiously, stepping over a tree root. "Yeah, bud?"

The boy's namesakes swished nervously behind him as he took a gulp of air. "I...- I think I'm gonna ask her to move in with me..."

Sonic stared at his little brother in shock, not really knowing how to respond. "Er, that's great, lil bro!" Tails' eyes lit up at his idol's approval, smiling as the blue sapient pat his back encouragingly. "It's nice to see you grow up like this, ya know?" Sonic smiled forlornly as they continued walking.

The fox's ears twitched towards his brother. "Really?"

Snow started to fall, softly landing on blue and orange fur alike. Sonic watched them drift in the breeze without a care in the world. "Well, yeah, I mean... I've known you since you were a wee kit and seeing you become so... -successful makes me..."

"Happy?"

"Proud," he said softly. Tails beamed at him in delight. "Heh, I suppose I should find a new base, huh? Cream would probably have a heart attack if she saw me walk in in the middle of the night looking like death."

"Eh," Tails mumbled,"How often you come and go would probably stress her out a bit, not much, but if she saw the conditions you show up in sometimes, she'd probably freak out." Cream was a very strong young woman, but there was only so much she could handle. A beaten and bleeding Sonic showing up three times a week would probably do a number on her sanity. "You should still come around, though, just... maybe without so much blood. Or maybe you could get a place of your own?"

Sonic sighed. Settling was one thing he never really saw himself doing until Tails had started suggesting it every once in a while. Getting older, the 'hog had started getting into more serious affairs around the city, even going undercover a couple of times to catch a couple major drug dealers. And ever since Robotnik had become a smaller picture in his life, he'd taken to crime fighting to keep himself busy and in shape. Now, this certainly didn't mean he went chasing after any crook who happened to cross his path. They'd have to interest him personally in order for him to do anything. Either way, it wasn't really safe for him to be sleeping outside anymore- never really had been, actually. That's why he stayed with Tails when he didn't feel safe out in the open. Perhaps he was getting soft with age.

"I guess."

Tails felt bad. He knew Sonic's recent involvement in more trivial criminal matters was just a way for him to feel like he had a purpose. The fox had been trying to get him to become a little more social -like how he used to be- but it seemed that the more he tried, the farther the hedgehog seemed to drift. He was positive it was Princess Sally's acceptance of Monkey Khan's proposal last year. They were to be wed in a month's time and Tail's could see the regret in his brother's eyes grow while the time until the royal ceremony shrunk.

Sonic had been head over heels for the chipmunk, but his inability to see himself settle down and his obsession with busting Eggman had already made his decision for him. To put it lightly, their breakup hadn't been the calmest ripple in the stream. Sometimes, even eight years after, his cheek still singed with pain from her stern palm.

Ever since that fateful day, Sonic's grin never filled with the amount of pride and spirit as it used to. Tails had been trying to cheer the 'hog up for the longest time now; he even made a five foot chili dog statue that sat in the fox's backyard garden. "He's fine Tails", "You're being paranoid, fox", " Just leave him alone, Tails", people would say to him. But the fox knew; he could see straight through the mask that Sonic wore, and so could Cream, actually. She also had a keen eye when it came to Sonic. It was just a matter of time before he broke and Tails needed to be there for him when he did. Because when a strong spirit like Sonic's gave out, there was bound to be an earthquake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Another chapter! Wow, wouldjya lookit that? Still no Shads yet, but don't worry, he'll turn up soon. (Probably next chapter). And I will be including some of my own oc's in this story, so sorry if you're not into that... They're not the typical 'my oc is amazing and will do everything right'. My oc's have dark pasts and only help further my plot, so hopefully you'll give them a chance! :)

Wooden boards creaked angrily at the weight of a full grown hedgehog creeping slowly across them. Small specks of dirt and dust clung to the fur of his knees and the fabric of his gloves as he crawled around a loveseat and peeked over the edge stealthily, spying his victim's little diaper covered bottom. He slowly crept closer, hovering over the small puggle with a wide grin, but as soon as he was about to pounce, the puggle turned abruptly and launched herself into his gut, eliciting a slight "oof".

"Rawer, I win!" She belted out as they tumbled to the ground, giggling as Sonic tickled her sides. 

"Hey, no fair, Lara-Su, you cheated!" Sonic whined to the three year old. He pulled her into a bear hug and nuzzled her muzzle. The puggle giggled and they continued to roll around on the floor of Tail's living room floor, almost kicking a lamp.

"Woah, woah, woah, guys, what the heck're you doin'?" Knuckles blanched, walking down the stairs with Vanilla, both who had been helping Cream unpack her belongings into her and Tails' now shared room. The wrestlers froze, Sonic on his stomach, face flat on the floor with Lara-Su on top of his head gnawing on his ear. The puggle's eyes slowly drifted to her father anxiously, blue ear falling from her mouth slowly, but still, Sonic kept his nose buried in the fuzzy carpet. Knuckles' robotic eye twitched, taking in the sight before it. "I can't believe it! My own daughter, wrestling without her Pa." The only thing Sonic could think was "oh no" before he was caught in a headlock by the smirking red echidna while Lara-Su continued to abuse his ear with her razor sharp baby teeth.

Sonic squirmed in his friend's grasp, gasping and clutching at red furred arms. "Gah! Uncle!" he yelled, choking on his laugh.

Vanilla stood to the side and watched, worry and amusement mixed into her eyes. It warmed her heart to see them all getting along so well, as things seemed to be quite tense between them lately (as usual between Sonic and Knuckles),but they were making quite a ruckus. Apparently enough to make Tails rush down to see what was going on.

The fox stood at the edge of the living room with crossed arms and a glare that could melt steel. Lara-Su noticed him first and snorted happily, hobbling over to him as the others continued to roughhouse. She stopped at his feet reaching up and clenching her little fingers rapidly. Tails smiled and scooped her up, but still continued to glare at the other echidna and hedgehog who were now spreading loose quills across his rug. He set the puggle on his hip and cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention.

Sonic immediately shot up from his seat on the side of Knuckle's head to the loveseat and smiled at Tails as if he hadn't just been trashing his living room. "Ah...- What's up, bud? Get everything settled in?" Knuckles wasn't as elegant in his recovery, only slightly turning to his side and propping his head up with his hand to look up at the fox from his spot on the floor.

Tails closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, trying to stop the smirk from rising to his lips. "Yeah, no thanks to you. Cream is just putting up some knickknacks."

The cushions sighed beneath the blue hedgehog as he flopped to them and propped his chin on the armrest. He gave Tails a small mock pout. "I was put on Lara duty, 'member?" He said. Sonic's whole head moved up and down as he talked, his jaw lifting and dropping it as it moved. Tails just rolled his eyes and carried Lara-Su to the kitchen for lunch, but not before uttering a quiet but stern command to clean up. Sonic groaned and looked at his red counterpart. "You have to help."

"Whatever! They're your quills!"

"But you're the one who started it!" Sonic pointed an accusing finger at him.

Knuckles was about to argue back, but was interrupted by the holes being burned into the back of his head all the way from the kitchen. He didn't dare turn and make eye contact."... Fine..."

 

The sun shone gently in the east, lowering slowly and making sure to bathe every inch of the once blue sky in vibrant reds, oranges, and purples. A few specs of snow started to trickle down as everyone said their goodbyes for the day with food in their stomach and happiness in their hearts. Cream had come down from her decorating upstairs to make lunch with Tails and the whole evening had been filled with laughter and stories to make up for the lost time that they had instead used for working and personal matters. But now that it was time for everyone to part ways once more, Sonic's chest couldn't help but feel heavy. 

The adults stood around Tail's front door as Lara-Su waddled around in the snow with her oversized winter coat, nose wiggling and ears flicking away any crystals that decided to land on them. Sonic, who wasn't really involved in the last conversation of the night, squatted low and held his arms out. "How 'bout a good bye hug for uncle Sonic, yeah?"

Lara-Su beamed at him and started bouncing her way over to him, giggling with a toothy smile that made Sonic's heart melt. She placed her little arms around his neck and squeezed with all her might. The blue 'hog laughed and did the same, only stopping when he heard the small breathless giggle. Lara pulled back and kissed her uncle's nose. "I wove you!"

"I wove you, too, 'Su."

Leaning against the front of the house while the others talked, Cream watched Sonic's loving exchange with his niece in awe. Sonic would make a wonderful father, she thought not for the first time. Cream had always known the 'hog was superb with children. She had experienced it first hand. That's why it broke her heart that the guy couldn't find someone to settle down with. All the badnik busting had gotten in the way of his instinct to start a family, making him blind to all the eligible mates that were flocking around him. Sure, he'd had a couple romances,but they never lasted. Sonic wasn't serious enough about his relationships and a girl definitely doesn't like to be lead on. That wasn't why Cream felt sorry for him, though. She felt sorry because she could see the ache in the other's eyes every time he saw a happy couple, with or without kids. He was ready. But his chances had run out. Sally was to be wed and taken away to the Free People with Monkey Khan, Amy had moved on after a little fling that she and the blue boy had had one summer a while back, and even Mina mongoose, still going strong with her music career, was happily married to her bass guitarist. Cream frowned softly to herself. He needs to get himself out there.

Knuckles stomped through the snow and scooped up his daughter. "Ready to go, bud? Mom should be getting back at any moment, so we need to go," he said, also muttering something about how the Master Emerald shouldn't be left alone for too long. He always made sure to whisper a couple facts about the emerald to his daughter. She would inherit the responsibility one day and she needed to understand everything about it; it's good to start young.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "She has no idea what you're talking about, red."

"I swear to Chaos, blue, comment on my parenting one more time," Knuckled growled.

Sonic held his hands up in a 'geez, calm yo shit' kind of way and backed up. He supposed that was the closest thing to a farewell as he was going to get from the echidna.

Cream walked up and placed a small kiss upon Lara-Su's brow. "Thanks for coming, Knux. Tell Julie-Su I said hi and that I want to see her sometime soon, 'kay?" she said, patting Kuckles' shoulder softly. He nodded.

The rabbit gave her last goodbyes to her mother along with a warm hug. Tails, Sonic, and Cream waved them off. Tails glanced up at the setting sun, fleetingly admired the beautiful colors of the evening, then settled his eyes on his girlfriend. Cream caught his eye and made a gesture towards Sonic with her chocolate gaze, head bobbing slightly in his direction. Tails' orbs widened and he gave a curt shake of his head. "I already had a talk with him," he mouthed, only slight wisps of air escaping his lips. The rabbit glared at him, but he wouldn't budge. She sighed in defeat, the sound giving Tails the okay to go inside and let them talk. He leaned in and placed a thankful kiss upon her cheek before gently tapping the snow from his boots and going inside. The metal latched softly. Cream took a deep inhale.

"So, Sonic..."

Sonic jumped a little and turned to the rabbit, surprise evident on his face before it melted into a smug expression. He shuffled closer to Cream. "Yeah, I know, I'll be out of your guys' fur soon, I just gotta use the restroom real quick and I'll be out," he chuckled, making a grab for the door behind her. Cream took the 'hog's gloved hand in hers.

"Sonic, wait, its not that we don't want you here-"

"I wouldn't want a third wheel if I had just moved in with my-"

"It's not- no- Sonic, you're not a wheel-"

"Hey, I know when someone wants privacy and you guys deserve to have your own life without having to deal with me butting in and out randomly," he set his hands on her shoulders reassuringly while she gazed at him with big, misty eyes,"I want you and Tails to have a normal life together. I don't have a typical, routine life. I fight bad guys, get bruised up and, sometimes- well, often, I suppose- that stuff follows me home or to wherever I decide to stay for the night. I really don't want you to get tied up in that kind of mess. It's not safe. Besides, it's not like I'm leaving forever. I'll visit pretty often. I'm still gonna help Tails with his soda and stuff; I'll probably steal him away for a couple of adventures, too." Sonic winked.

Cream smiled for a fraction of a second before it dropped again. She wanted to argue and tell him to stop getting involved with everything, but she knew it was useless. This was simply how he lived. "Where will you go?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Probably into the city. Maybe get an apartment. I'll figure it out along the way..."

The cold winter air sifted through their fur lightly granting them a slight chill. Cream lowered her head and bit her lip before launching onto the hedgehog and latching her arms around his neck. "Please don't get into any trouble! And if you ever need anything, we'll be here and don't you dare hesitate to ask!" 

Sonic chuckled deeply and pat her back softly. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine, Cream. Its not like you're kicking me out or anything. I don't even have any belongings..."

Cream's ears twitched slightly and she held a peach fuzzed elbow firmly. "Can you make me a promise?"

"Eh, depends."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Rolling her eyes, Cream crossed her arms exasperatedly. "Sonic," she said with a drop of venom," I really need you to take me seriously for just a moment."

Snow crunched under his feet as he shuffled them. "Okay..." He waited for her to start speaking but when she didn't, he looked up to see that she had been waiting for eye contact.

"I want you to find someone-"

"- Oh, here we go again-"

She wagged a finger at him"- Ah, Ah! Let me finish." She cleared her throat and pat down her dress, clearing out invisible wrinkles. "I want you to find someone that you can take care of, and in return, can take care of you." One of the hedgehog's ears drooped in a questioning fashion. Cream continued," You are lonely, Sonic, and I don't care how much you deny it. I know you don't like me telling you how you feel, but I find this to be quite an important, and pressing, issue that needs to be addressed sooner than later. You've chosen later for far too long now."

"Cream, I don't need another person to make me happy."

The rabbit gave him a sad, pleading gaze. "I realize that, Sonic, I really do, but I feel like... you're at that point in life where you could definitely use... someone to share a new adventure with. You know, .... someone that can ease the pressure I'm sure you've felt as a hero for all these years..."

"... Are you implying that I need to get laid?"

Arms flew up in the air as the rabbit turned in a small circle with her hands on her head. "Oh, for the love of Chaos! Whatever you want to call it, hedgehog, as long as you find someone that makes you happy!" Her little cotton tail swished irritatedly behind her, flying with enough ferocity to knock out a grown echidna soldier.

Sonic laughed at how worked up Cream was getting and pulled her into a light hug. She slumped over his shoulder, cheek mushing into the lean muscle, and hung her arms loosely around his waist. He pet Cream's ears softly. "I promise I'll try."

"You better," she said softly before looking up at him, chocolate melding to emerald. "And you know, you're the most exasperatingly fun person to talk to?" 

"Yeah..."

 

The two Mobians shook the snow from their fur and various articles of clothing and walked into the warmth of Tail's home. The fox was cuddled comfortably on his living room couch with a blanket and a book on quantum mechanics. He looked over the trimming of his glasses and smiled as the two rubbed their arms and tried to chase the cold away. "Get everything situated?"

Hedgehog and rabbit looked at each other, silently speaking, before answering with a confident 'yes'. Sonic shook, vibrations running from the tip of his quilled head until reaching his tail and flicking off a small bit of melted snow. He scurried to Tails and crawled under the blanket with him, shimmying between his brother's legs and laying his head on the fox's shoulder. Slender arms wrapped around Tails' waist, enveloping him in a tight hug that wasn't the least bit warm.

"Chaos, you're freezing and wet! Sonic, stop~" the fox whined and tried to squirm away, but the hold on him was inescapable. This was one of the many reasons why Sonic needed to find a mate. He was getting almost irritatingly clingy. About everyone had noticed at least that much.

Sonic smirked and nuzzled his nose into the back of Tails' big orange ear, skewing his glasses slightly. "I can't say bye to my sweet baby bro?"

"Just get out."

"How rude. Isn't he rude, Cream?"

The rabbit giggled and sat in the recliner across from them. "So very rude."

Tails rolled his eyes and complained about how the 'hog was creating damp spots on his couch. He pretended to be angry, but had a hard timed keeping a smile from raising the corners of his lips.

Sonic laughed and dashed off to the restroom, unable to hold it any longer. After a couple minutes, he emerged, his scarf wrapped tightly around his muzzle and around his neck. "Well, see you guys around, I guess."

"Bye, Sonic!" The couple called from their seats in the living room. Cream had moved to sit by her boyfriend, dozing off with her legs propped up in his lap while he continued to read. 

She smiled up at him as he crossed to the front door. "We love you."

Sonic froze with his hand hovering over the knob. The words echoed in his head like a catchy song as he stared at the young couple with half lidded eyes. "... Me too..." 

And out the door into the cold winter night, he went.

 

The wind stung at his clenched ears, trying to find its way into them. He kept them as close to the top of his head as he could as he dashed through the trees, dodging, jumping and narrowly avoiding various trunks, roots and bushes that tried to slow him down. Soon, grass and gravel turned to cold, salty water as he zoomed across the ocean, leaving South Island behind in a mist the same way he had so many times before. Now, he didn't particularly favor traveling over water like this, but it was the quickest way to get from island to island. His fear of water had definitely calmed down because of it.

Despite the rigorous strain he was putting himself through, Sonic shivered uncontrollably from the freezing winter air and water. Thanking chaos for his super speed, he spotted a glimmer of light in the distance. Station Square. He'd been frequenting this city quite often in the past three years and was very familiar with all of the winding streets and dark allies. There were badies practically crawling in every corner and that's what attracted the blue 'hog. He was having a bit of fun being a vigilante.

As the shore neared, Sonic prepared himself, bringing his arms above his head. Three... Two... One... Jump! His arms shot down to propel himself and he soared through the crisp night air, spinning in a ball and crashing on the beach, bouncing once on his back, then landing securely on his feet in the soft sand in front of a young couple. They stared up at him with big eyes from their cuddled position on their beach blanket, their cocoon of blankets looking quite cozy. Sonic admired their little set up of a boom box, which was playing some lovely jazz music, three red candles sticking out of the sand softly bathing them, and now him, in a soft yellow light, and a small assortment of chocolates that were perched on top of a little, whicker picnic basket. Sonic's ears perked and he reached out and grabbed a piece of the candy. He stuck the whole thing in his mouth and moaned at how it melted and coated every taste bud in a sugary blanket. "Mm, thish isha real great shet up, you guysh," he spoke with his mouthful and then looked to the female,"You shure know hoewta pick'em." He swallowed hard and put a hand to his chest and cleared his throat. There was a long silence as the couple stared at the beaming blue sapient who now had chocolate smeared around his lips. Sonic scratched his ear awkwardly before speeding off again, almost leaving the two in a pile of sand. "Ihopeitworksoutforyouguys," he word vomited as he jumped the fence guarding the shore.

Sonic skidded to a stop at a corner to get a good look at where he was. Okay, so the first thing on his to do list: find a place to live. He had about two thousand mobiums in his savings account, not including the ones Tails was supposed to pay him for helping out with Ocean Breeze deliveries. A cheap place with decent quality would do just fine; a place to crash every once in a while. Sonic knew the perfect place. 

People gave him weird looks as he tried to get through the throngs of bodies at a brisk pace, bumping into a few people and delivering swift apologies. Turning corners and crossing streets, Sonic made his way to an average sized town home on the outskirts of the city. The home stood at exactly three doors from the left and five doors from the right with small bikes and chalk littering the tiny bit of lawn that it had. It was much darker on this side of town, away from all the bustle of the bulk of the city, these townhomes sat peacefully next to a small community park. He carefully stepped over the dolls sat atop the front steps and smoothed down his fur and a couple of quills before knocking loudly.

As the hedgehog predicted, yells, bangs, and pitter patters of small feet rang through the thick wooden door, all excited to have a visitor. A familiar voice rang out and hushed the ruckus with a swift and stern 'enough!'.

Sonic smiled big and bright when he heard the door's locks be unhatched and it was pulled slightly ajar. Blue eyes widened when they saw who their visitor was and she swiftly slammed the door, only to undo the chain and open it up fully. The small stoat launched herself onto the hedgehog. "Oh, Sonic! It's so wonderful to see you!"

"You too, Annette," he said, patting her back.

The stoat pattered her way around him and inspected every inch of his body. "Have you been eating enough? Getting enough sleep? You're not hurt, are you?"

Sonic was getting dizzy from how much the woman was moving. Geez, women needed to chill out about his health. "Woah, woah, Annette I'm fine!"

Annette stopped her inspection and stood in front of the 'hog with curious eyes. "Then why have you come at such an ungodly hour? I was about to put the kids to bed."

The blue hero smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. "Is your basement still up for grabs?"


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, sorry I just kinda disappeared for a while. Life got hectic for a while what with holidays and such but I'm Back! And with another glorious chapter where we finally see some Shadow and action! Tell me if this seems a bit too fast paced for you guys or if my writing is confusing at all. I'm trying to keep a pace, but I don't know if it's working? R&R!

Steam rose from the hot liquid in the porcelain teacup and gently caressed his muzzle as he carefully sipped. The black, bland substance scorched his pallet and throat, but was good, nonetheless. He typically wasn't one for coffee, but on a cold night like this, it wasn't unwelcome. 

Sonic sat and watched Annette, a fluffy white stoat, sip her scolding coffee with the ease and grace of an avid caffeine addict. It was silent, a rare occurrence in the woman's abode, for all the bouncy foster children were tucked in bed upstairs. A total of six of them stayed with her, ranging from three to fifteen years of age. Four boys and two girls. Varying species.

They had all remembered him from his last visit and had crowded around him, begging for stories of his adventures. But of course, Annette refused to let them stay up any later than they already had. A chorus of whines had erupted, but the stern foster mother would not let up. And so, one by one, they filed up the stairs, each stopping to say their goodnight to Sonic. Well, all except for the oldest, Alistair the Meerkat. Sonic could never break through the teen's rough exterior, only getting scowls and sharp remarks in response to his attempts. There was always something about the meerkat that seemed so tantalizingly familiar, but the 'hog could never quite put his finger on it. 

Sonic's wandering thoughts were put on hold when his companion spoke up:

"So, Tails is growing up, huh? His lady friend moved in... Are you nervous?" The stoat asked, stirring her beverage absentmindedly and gazing at him through tired, experienced eyes.

Sonic smirked. "Not one bit."

"Oh," Annette purred,"You put so much trust in him, Sonic." Her expression was one of sentiment.

Sonic shrugged. "You know how he is. Just about the most responsible guy I ever met. And it's not like he's really changed a whole lot since he was little. Besides all the physical stuff, he's more or less the same Tails. Well..." He looked down at his coffee ponderously," He's gotten a lot smarter, too- if that's even possible. Not just in mechanics and stuff, but like, with psychological matters, too. He knows how people work. What would or wouldn't tick them off... How to speak to them in way to where they don't get uncomfortable or anything."

Annette rose a brow, her whiskers twitching slightly with her smile. "Hasn't he always had that skill?"

A gloved hand reached up to scratch at a blue ear. "Eh, I guess. If I really think about it, his people skills were really great as a kid, too. I guess he's just kinda... fine tuned it."

The stoat nodded and sipped another mouthful of her coffee. She swallowed and set her cup back down softly. "So you need a place to stay, yes?" It was an abrupt change in subject, but ultimately the reason he was even there.

"Yeah..."

Annette tapped her claws on the wooden table and thought for a moment. She could use the extra money. The kids were in dire need of new winter gear, the microwave was practically radioactive, and don't even get her started on the leak in the roof. But on the other hand... She knew what kind of trouble Sonic got into sometimes. Pretty much the opposite of the kind of trouble she got into herself before the hero snapped her straight... It was the least she could do after all the help he's given her.

She folded her hands in her lap and caught Sonic's full attention. "Okay... You can stay in my basement. Two hundred mobiums a month. But you have to use the basement entrance with caution whenever you come home. Because one: I don't want the kids catching you all bruised up and battered and two: I don't want any dangerous figures showing up at my front door because they saw you here. Not to mention the bozos that would recognize me. That's just double trouble. Are we at an agreement?"

Sonic nodded happily. "Can do."

Annette looked him up and down incredulously, inwardly snickering at the unwavering smile planted on the other's face. She couldn't help the corner of her lip inching upwards. "Alright. I'll go get things set up."

 

 

The sun peeked over the horizon, slowly bathing the world in its soft yellow glow. Despite the warm colors of the early morning sky, it was completely and utterly frigid. Not that that would stop Sonic from getting out to do his morning run, no Sir. That would be laughable. As soon as he sensed that the sun was rising, he was out of bed. To Sonic's dismay, Annette's basement only had one small window at the back that only let a limited amount of sunlight in, but that was alright. He'd been rising with the sun for as long as he could remember.

The hedgehog dipped and curved, performing his pre-run stretches at a quiet city park while huffing little clouds from his heated tongue to the cold morning air. His muscles strained at the stress he put on them, stinging slightly as he did his best to work the pain from his left knee. To his aggravation, a couple months ago his knee had started to ache horribly. He had Tails examine it, but all the fox had to say was "You put too much strain on it. Stretch more. I'd be surprised if the other one doesn't start acting up soon, too", and he absolutely refused to wear a brace. So stretch he does. Every morning. 

 

He was nearly finished when the silent, sleepy morning air was rudely awoken by a loud screech of tires and the cry of some type of ape. Sonic sprang up from his squat and jumped out of the way just in time to watch a large gorilla lumber past him with a burlap sack hung over his shoulder. Instinct told him to give chase, but before he could even take one step forward, a low rumbling grew dangerously close.

A loud " Look out!" and a few more tire screeches was all he heard before the world was turned upside down in a matter of seconds. The ape kept running, shouting victoriously as he rounded a corner. 

His body ached all over. Not to the point where he thought there were any broken bones, but he was cut and bruised a bit. Groaning, he propped himself up on his elbows and rubbed his head while looking for the guy that just hit him with a motorbike. His vision was a bit fuzzy, but he was still able to spot a body, along with the bike, laying a little distance away. Both were scratched up quite badly, but nothing major from what he could see. Sonic got to his feet and hissed at the pain in his knee, renewed and vicious thanks to his new acquaintance.

He limped forward. "What the hell, man? You coulda killed yourself! Or even worse, me!" He yelled out as the other mobian started to get up. "The least you could do is pay attention while riding on such a dangerous vehicle!" The dark figure stood at full height and brushed off some dirt from his black furred forearm, back to Sonic as the blue one continued to limp over. "Are you even listening to me? You can't just... ignore... me..." Sonic trailed off and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Just let me..." The culprit turned around, about to apologize, but stopped and also stood in mild shock. "... Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog's ears flicked forwards at the deep, familiar baritone voice and he smiled, a bit of his sourness being subdued after recognizing his old frienemy. "Aw, what the heck, Shads! Haven't seen ya in who knows how long and the first thing you do is run me over? I see time hasn't done much healing." Sonic chuckled, pain subsiding.

Shadow rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smirk that tugged his lip upward. He noted how the other's personality was quite the same as he took in the other's appearance. He was older. Taller. Fuller. The black hedgehog appreciated the changes, but at the same time, all he could see was the gangly teen he used to know. And though he and the blue one had last parted on decent terms, he felt the familiar creep of annoyance he usually felt when the other was around.

Sonic stood in front of the Ultimate Life Form and also took a quick glance over. Shadow had grown, surprisingly. Instead of being shorter than him, like he originally expected of his immortal copy, he was the same height if you ignored the added inch of the black 'hog's disheveled quills. He was also clad in a black and green uniform, complete with a bullet proof vest(completely unnecessary, Sonic noted), combat boots, and the word G.U.N. written across the left breast pad. Sonic suddenly felt an abnormal flare of insecurity as he felt the other's eyes sizing him up in the same way.

"Uh, yeah, as much as I'd love to stand around and stare at each other all day, weren't you in the middle of something?" Sonic said, picking off a piece of grass from the side of his head.

Shadow blanched inwardly, eyes widening in shock. "Shit!" He scrambled to get his bike up on its wheels. He swung a leg around the seat, started up once again, and revved up the engine. He gave a quick glance and a nod to his blue counterpart before speeding off, leaving a large dirt cloud in his wake.

Sonic stood there and considered for a moment why Shadow was chasing after such an average criminal. Not to mention how he had been coming to this city for years and hadn't seen a glimpse of the other 'hog anywhere or anytime before. The blue hero grew antsy as he considered going after the other. On one hand, he'd probably get pulled into something ridiculously dangerous, but on the other... he didn't really have anything planned for the rest of the day... And it was still early. If he decided not to go, he knew he wouldn't stop thinking about it. Eh, why not? 

Shadow rode around corners and ran lights, narrowly avoiding pedestrians as he searched for his target; the engine of good ol' Dark Rider purred beautifully in his ears, doing wonders to calm down his stressed, pounding heart. His amber eyes searched frantically, examining every face on the streets for about a millisecond each. Finally, he spotted the ape a ways down the street throwing his burlap bag in the back of a truck and jumping in the passenger seat. He turned the throttle and his bike roared, ready to speed up, but a flash of blue next to him caught him off guard.

"Hey, Shads, need some help?"

Shadow yelped, a very manly yelp, and glanced between the road and his blue copy rapidly. "Sonic! What the hell! Go away, dammit! I'm on a mission," he yelled over the engine of his bike and now the high buzzing of Sonic running beside him.

Sonic rolled his eye dramatically. "Well, duh. I'm offering to help you."

"I don't need your help, hedgehog!" He snapped before swerving to avoid hitting a car that pulled out in front of him. Sonic simply jumped, clearing the vehicle expertly. 

He landed roughly, gasping at the pain shooting from his knee. "Keep your eyes ahead!" Sonic admonished.

"Well, it's kinda hard to when you're distracting me like this!"

"Okay, fine-"

Shadow shouted once again as the hero jumped onto his bike and settled behind him with his gloved hands on his belted waist. The striped hedgehog sighed. He knew Sonic well enough to know that there was no shaking him off at this point, so he may as well use the extra help while he could. "Okay, whatever. You see that purple truck up the road?"

Sonic had to lean in and flick an ear towards Shadow's mouth to hear him. Once he processed the question, he looked down the street to see the exact truck the other was referring to. The vehicle was pulling away from the curve and speeding off, actually hitting an unsuspecting cockatoo, knocking him to the ground. "Yeah, they just hit that poor guy! We gotta stop and help!"

"We don't have time to stop and help! The civilians will help him, but our way of helping is catching the guys that did it to him!" Shadow growled.

The hero knew Shadow was right, but he couldn't help glancing apologetically at the man as they zoomed by. At least bystanders were willing to help.

"Anyways, we need to get the sack that they threw in the back. Can you handle that?" Shadow continued.

Sonic smirked. "Sure thing, Capn' Stripes!"

Shadow mentally face palmed. Why did it have to be him that he hit? Out of all the people in Möbius, why Sonic?

They were gaining on the truck rapidly, Shadow still swerving and weaving through cars expertly. It made Sonic wonder,' if he's so good at weaving around cars, what makes it so difficult to avoid hitting me?' The closer they got, the more charged and powerful Sonic felt. Perhaps it was because it had been a while since he'd been on such a chase. Adrenaline.

Finally, they reared up on the car, right next to the bed of the truck. But right when Sonic reached over to grab the side of the vehicle, one of the criminals stuck their head out the window, face only three feet away. The blue hero gasped at the glowing red of the gorilla's eyes as they glared into his soul. They seemed to get brighter and brighter before suddenly, the eye contact was broken by Shadow yanking him back into his seat. The motorbike swerved left and went down a different street where it skidded to a stop. He felt like he was in a void. A deep, dark, unforgiving space of terror. Sonic blinked his eyes rapidly.

The seat of the bike shifted when Shadow slid off to stand by him. Gloved fingers snapped in front of his face, catching him from falling deeper. Sonic shook his head, shedding the terrible feeling of impeding doom along with a couple cobalt strands of fur. "What the heck was that?" Sonic asked, the horror evident in his voice.

Shadow sighed. Typically he wouldn't disclose such information without proper G.U.N. approval, but he supposed the hero deserved the right to know. And perhaps the 'hog had some kind of inside information that could lead him to cracking the case. He knew how the hero like to play vigilante. G.U.N. had made sure to keep a tab on him.,"Those guys aren't your run of the mill criminals. They're sentient robots. All we know about them is that it's best not to look into their eyes. The last guy that stared a bit too long had their life force sucked right out of them." Sonic winced as Shadow continued,"We believe they are creations of Dr. Robotnik, but we're not completely sure because of the more advanced technology."

Sonic rose a brow and huffed. So Eggman was at it again? No surprise there. And now he understood why there was such a long hiatus this time around. It would obviously take some time to build such robots. "What's their motive?" Shadow simply shrugged, but pulled a burlap sack from his quills. "You managed to grab it?"

Spiked quills bobbed as the black one nodded. "Yes. While you were busy with the robot, I was able to quickly reach under you and grab it." 

Sonic gazed at the other at awe and leaned forward. "What's in it?"

Shadow untied the string and pulled the sides open to show his cobalt counterpart. Sonic's face was illuminated by the dazzling glow of two powerful emeralds. Apparently that wasn't completely adrenaline that he was feeling.

"Chaos Emeralds!"

**Author's Note:**

> Lol, are mobiums even the correct currency? I feel like it makes a little more sense than rings, which would be used for power boost purposes. Idk. Tel me what you think.


End file.
